Dexter

The Dexter is one of the smallest cattle breeds in the world: about 40 inches at the shoulder and 700 to 900 pounds. Size is what people notice, but it is a working multi-purpose animal, kept for both milk and beef.

It came out of southern Ireland in the early 1800s, developed from the Kerry by selecting for smaller size and better beef. The name comes from a Mr. Dexter who promoted the cattle in the mid-1800s.

Its history stayed tangled with the Kerry for a long time. The two were registered in one herd book for years, which is where the idea that a Dexter is a miniature Kerry came from. Blood typing has settled it. They are closely related but genetically distinct breeds, and they should not be interbred. Worth knowing before you buy either one.

Early Dexters were shaped by open, mountainous Irish country. Smallholders in Ireland and England took to them because they produce milk and beef on very little acreage, which is still the reason people buy them.